Speaking Life, Changing Lives.
Making Salt Lake City a better place to live. Growing a strong and thriving community as at-risk youth journey to become community leaders.
Give the Gift of a Hope and a Future.
When you donate, you’re not just giving a deserving child a future. You’re also reducing the risk for gang violence and crime in our communities, which increases the welfare of our entire city.
How Does it Affect You?
Safety of Our Community: Providing life skills and a safe space to grow and learn as an alternative to joining gangs and lives of crime makes all of our communities safer.
Health of Our City: Giving opportunities to at-risk youth who are truly gifted, increases the wellbeing of our entire state. Finding those who can have a positive impact, because they were given the opportunities despite their socioeconomic status, can change our entire community for the better.
How We Help Our Future Leaders
Our nonprofit is one of its kind in the Salt Lake City area. We seek out at-risk, minority youth, living in poverty, a large majority of whom come from single-parent households; and give them the individual attention, nurturing, and mentoring that they need to grow and thrive in their communities. Our program is preventative and strategic as we consistently work hand in hand with students’ parents, foster parents, social workers, teachers, principals, and probation officers to ensure that they receive the proper resources and guidance for their wellbeing. This program is intended to be a long-term engagement. We mentor each of the boys for years, from the time they enter our program as most do in the fifth grade, to the day they graduate from high school. Our vision is to grant partial scholarships to each student that go on to attend a four-year university, a two-year college, or a trade school.
We work with the West Valley City Schools to identify individuals who may need extra care during these formative years of their lives. By providing leadership opportunities and continuous activity-based mentoring, as an alternative to gangs, we're guiding our youth to grow into successful young men who will positively impact their families and communities.
Learn, Care, & Change A Life Today!
Did you know 11% of Households in Utah are living below the poverty line while 62% of students living in Salt Lake City live in poverty? 1 in every 7 people in West Valley City lives in poverty. This affects our entire city! There are that many people living in poverty in your city. 21% of students at the high school we serve drop out of school. That is 672 out of 3,200 students!
Do you want a community that thrives, is economically sound, and provides opportunities for all children to grow and thrive?
Make a change. Choose to donate. Change the life of a youth today. Give them a chance at college or a trade school! Let them become our future police, government officials, and entrepreneurs!
Meet A Few Of Our Youth
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5th Grader
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6th Grader
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7th Grader
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8th Grader
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9th Grader
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10th Grader
Testimonials
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"We are very grateful to Stone of Hope Youth. My son has improved his behavior, stress & language. SOHY is forming leaders, & we are very grateful to Mr. Gonzales & his team. It truly is an amazing program."
Mother of an 8th & 9th Grader
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"I love getting to see the boys find breakthrough and watch them realize they CAN do something they thought was impossible."
Mentor
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"I participated in the snowshoeing activity this winter and it was an awesome experience. It was good seeing the boys having fun and challenging themselves because it was hard work. When anyone was straggling, someone always came to check on and encourage them and everyone made it to the top of the hill. It was a great accoplishment for all of us!"
Donor
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"They are amazing! They take care of the boys. I love this program! I couldn't thank them enough."
Mother of an 8th & 10th Grader
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"I'm really trying, but I'm so grateful for SOHY! We wouldn't have been successful without all you've taught him! Thank you so much!
Mother of 9th Grader
Our Values
Love
Perseverance
Honesty
Integrity
Honor
What we’re up to.
Enjoy a sneak peak into our program with this fun Snowshoeing Mini Camp Video!
Our Name
“With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a Stone of Hope.”
— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
AWARDS
Candid / GuideStar is a philanthropic research database designed to fill in the knowledge gaps you need to find the best charities to which to donate in the area you most care about.
The Better Business Bureau is a private organization that provides the public with information on businesses and charities.
The Heart & Hands award honors community members for their outstanding dedication to making a difference in Utah.